Familiar Idea
by Kyndsie
Summary: Labyrinth SongFic. While hanging out with school friends, Sarah hears a song on the radio that reminds her of something. When she realizes what's familiar and why, she tries to do something about it. Sarah, Toby, Hoggle, Jareth, miscellaneous goblins, etc. Chapter 3 posted. (ch 1 update: just a typo fixed)
1. It reminds me of something

**DISCLAIMER: If it's a scene, setting, character, or idea from Labyrinth, it's (c) Henson, Lucas, Froud, etc, and NOT MINE.  
"Cruel to be Kind" - (c) Radar, Nick Lowe, Ian Gomm, and possibly Letters to Cleo**

Stay tuned for an A/N at the end.

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"I LOVE summer vacation!" Sarah's excitement nearly caused her to squeal, a trait unbecoming in a seventeen-year-old. Her friends didn't notice, as they, sadly, were also squealing.

The group of girls was all chattering, laughing, poking, whispering, giggling, yelling, and doing everything simultaneously. The end result was noise. Lots and lots of noise. Which meant that Karen would have been knocking on Sarah's door to not-quite-complain, except that the girls were already outside. Karen sighed a little, rolling her eyes even as she smiled.

Sarah's mob of friends had grown steadily over the past couple of years, a fact for which Karen was immensely grateful. The fact that her step-daughter's improved social interaction didn't translate into a more active dating life still troubled her, but she mostly refrained from mentioning _that_ to Sarah.

Toby ran through the house, and burst out the patio doors. He ran right into the mass of teenage girls. At three years of age, the erstwhile toddler was still quite adorable, especially when he tried to carry on conversations. Wriggling away from the girls, they engaged in a group effort of "Catch Me!" until Toby let Sarah grab and tickle him.

Recovering his breath, Toby asked his sister, "Sawah, sing pease!"

Despite being used to Toby's incomplete words, the friends still cooed over the cuteness. Sarah rolled her eyes at the girls, but smiled at Toby. "Tobias," this use of his full name was part of this game, "what song?"

He merely continued to repeat his request, so one of the girls turned on the radio, randomly rolling through the stations until she hit music.

"Okay, here's something. And yeah, I'm ready to change it if it's not a song for your brother." Karen was known for being careful about what songs and shows were around Toby. Sarah allowed herself a moment to wonder how her stepmother would react to the events of two years ago.

"Okay, Tobes, here's the chorus," and Sarah sang along

_You say you gotta be_

_Cruel to be kind, in the right measure _

_Cruel to be kind, it's a very good sign _

_Cruel to be kind, means that I love you _

_Baby, you gotta be cruel to be kind_

Glad that she knew the song well, Sarah allowed her mind to drift while she watched Toby smile at her. "Something about this song… of course it's familiar, but there's just _something_ that's a different kind of familiar about it." Sarah's musing as she sang to her brother while dancing with him didn't get a chance to distract her; her friends started passing Toby around to dance with him.

They all wound up dancing on their own, with Toby weaving around in and out.

Later that evening, after dinner, after Toby had been put to bed, Sarah sat on her bed to review the day. Seriously, she LOVED summer vacation… no school, natch, but also time to hang out with her friends, time to be silly with Toby WITHOUT having the responsibility of baby-sitting, time to baby-sit, time to go by herself to the park without Karen giving her any _looks_ about the waste of time.

But something was different about this afternoon. "If I can only put my finger on it," she said to herself as she stared past the wall. Restless with the uncertainty, she got up to pace. Stopping at her vanity, she gave a double-take.

Exhaling in a huff that was nearly a snort, Sarah shook her head at herself, and at _him_. She opened that one drawer, where she kept things. Halting the movement, she peeked through the one-inch of space, startled to see the face of the figurine. "I would have _sworn_ I put it in the other way. Whatever."

Sarah was uneasy enough about the memories that suddenly returned to clarity that she closed the drawer quickly, but gently. She knew why the chorus triggered that reaction, and she wasn't sure that she knew how to deal with it.

Wringing her hands, she paced about the room again, restraining her eyes from the direction of the vanity and _that drawer_. After nearly fifteen minutes of fruitless movement, she paused, once again in front of the same piece of furniture.

"I wonder…" She swallowed, and reopened the drawer. All the way.

_Back in the Underground, the goblins paused. One of them said, "Did she say it?" "SHHHH!"_

_In the Throne Room, the Goblin King's posture stiffened the slightest bit._

Sarah sighed at her own foolishness, shaking her head over certain romantic flights of fancies that had started up over the preceding year and a half. She closed the drawer and then sat on the vanity bench.

"Hoggle, I need you!"

_Underground, the goblins fell right back asleep, disgusted that they were woken up, and bored with the thought of eavesdropping on yet another chat between the grumpy dwarf and the human girl._

_The Goblin King's posture returned to its present state, or even possibly became a bit more slouched_.

"Hoggle, I need to know something."

"Sure, Sarah, but are you okay? You sounds fiercely urgent!"

"What? Oh, yeah, sorry about that, but I've had an idea and need to know right away if it's even possible, and I _know_ that you'd know the answer."

The dwarf peered at the girl carefully, knowing that he wasn't going to get the full story, and wondering if this was going to get him into trouble. Again. "You knows that I'll helps you if I can, but – "

"Good. Does this calling on the mirror work for anybody else Underground? Or just you and Sir Didymus and Ludo and The Wise Man?"

"Well, it mights and it mights n – wait! You've been talking to that tired – "

"Yes I have Hoggle. And to his hat. It's fun and confusing. But who does it work for?" Sarah wasn't going to let Hoggle off the hook in answering her question.

"I don'ts know, not for sure." On seeing the look on Sarah's face, a combination of pleading and sternness, he continued, "but probably anybody you'd thinks about calling could talks to you. Specially if theys had some magic o' their own. And I'm not saying anythin' more about that!"

Hoggle's determination took the form of crossed arms and a glaring look on his face that did nothing to conceal his concern over who this best friend might plan to contact.

"Oh, Hoggle, what could go wrong with talking to someone this way? It's not like I'd be wishing myself to the Underground."

_The goblins stirred a little in their sleep, slightly uneasy but still somnolent._

_The Goblin King cocked his head ever so minutely, his smirk returned, and his posture showing him to be ready for quick movement._

"It's not like I hate him or anything, but he probably hates me, or thinks I'm scum, and I just want to _talk_ him. Is that too much to ask?!"

"Hmph. I suppo-ose not, but be VERY CAREFUL."

"I will. I promise! Now I'd better do it now before I lose my nerve. I'll talk to you soon, okay?"

Still grumping about it, "Well okay, but don't say I didn't warn you. Good-bye."

Shaking off Hoggle's gruffness, Sarah took a deep breath.

.

.

.

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_As promised, here's an Author's Note. Yes, I'm Cruel to end the chapter here. But PLEASE don't worry: there's more to come. But in the spirit of post-Halloween moderation, I'm going to spread it out over a couple of days. Lots of LOVELY reviews will help me to post the rest sooner. There isn't much more.  
Oh, and this isn't related to any of my other stories._

So... who is she trying to call and what will happen?


	2. First Ending

**DISCLAIMER: If it's a setting, scene, character, or idea from Labyrinth, it's (c) Henson, Lucas, Froud, Bowie, Connelly, etc, and NOT MINE. For song lyrics credit (which are ALSO not mine), see chapter one.**

_A/N: Okay, we have two possible endings. Here's the first._

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ENDING 1

"Leader of the Firey gang, I need to talk to you."

_The goblins were now in a very deep sleep, out of which only a genuine wish or a bellow from their monarch could summon them._

_The Goblin King watched the ensuing conversation in a crystal, "Sarah, your eyes can be so cruel."_

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_See the heading ENDING 1? See the A/N before this mini-chapter? Now, sit tight, leave me some reviews & comments, and rest assured that the other possible ending is coming._


	3. Second Ending

**DISCLAIMER: If it's a setting, scene, character, or idea from Labyrinth, it's (c) Henson, Lucas, Froud, Bowie, Connelly, etc, and NOT MINE. For song lyrics credit (which are ALSO not mine), see chapter one.**

A/N: Stay tuned at the end for thanks, etc. This is the promised other possible ending. It is the ONLY other ending that I've written, and now this story is done. Really.

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ENDING 2

"Goblin King, I would like to talk to you in the mirror… RIGHT NOW."

Nothing happened.

_Some goblin snorted in sleep._

_The Goblin King's smirk broadened even as a light flared into his eyes._

Groaning over it, Sarah bit her lip and decided. She _would_ risk it.

"I wish to speak with the Goblin King in the mirror… RIGHT NOW."

"Why, cruel-eyed Sarah, how _lovely_ to see you again."

Sarah's double-take at the interpretation of her words nearly gave her whiplash. Yes, there was the Goblin King, visible in her mirror. He was behind her in her room, looking at her using the reflection.

"What – How – But – Not – " As Sarah's spluttered attempts to form a coherent sentence increased in urgency, the Goblin King drew nearer. He rested a single finger on the top of her head.

"What's said is said, Precious. Now, we've spoken using the reflection, thus fulfilling the wish. What a pity that there's no cost for it."

And he was gone, leaving some glitter to shimmer in the air.

~FIN~

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_The author would like to thank the following for posting reviews: _**Autumn O'Shea Swan, Taria Robotnik, Lylabeth 1, bluepixy13, Angel of Darkness12345, and Goblin Girl.**_ If I were cruel like either Sarah or Jareth, I would have waited a couple of days in between posting each of the chpaters, with a longer delay before this one...  
This story is done. However, there are plot-bunnies vying for my attention, but they have to compete with several on-going stories and the fic exchange. At some point, this story MIGHT continue. But NO PROMISES!_


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